The DWP has confirmed the rules around who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment and how much pensioners will get
16:35, 18 Sep 2025Updated 16:40, 18 Sep 2025
Payments will be made in November and December(Image: Getty)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has clarified the exact amount of Winter Fuel Payment that pensioners are set to receive this winter as some will only be eligible for £100. Around three-quarters of all state pensioners are eligible for the payment, according to the Government.
It comes after the Government announced its U-turn on the payments in June, meaning nine million pensioners in England and Wales will receive the Winter Fuel Payment from the DWP this winter.
Payments were slashed last year as they became means tested for the first time, with only those on certain benefits receiving the payment. The move essentially lowered the income threshold to just £11,600, according to MoneySavingExpert.
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Under the new changes, pensioners who earn less than £35,000 a year are entitled to a payment of either £200 or £300 but pensioners who are in a couple may only receive £100 due to the new income threshold.
How much will pensioners get?
This year, Winter Fuel Payments will be made to everyone in England and Wales born before 22 September 1959.
However, anyone who is over the income threshold of £35,000 will have their payment recovered by HMRC through the tax system.
The amount you get depends on your age and how many people are in your household. For example, a household is eligible for the higher amount of £300 if it includes someone who is over the age of 80.
Households with people who are above State Pension age but younger than 80 will be eligible for the lower amount of £200.
One payment will be made per household, unless they are on an income-related benefit such as Pension Credit. Pensioners who are claiming Pension Credit are entitled to an individual payment, the DWP has confirmed.
In cases where one member of a household is above the income threshold and the other is not, the household will only get part of the payment.
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For example, a couple who both fall below the income threshold and are both under 80, with neither receiving Pension Credit, will get a payment of £200.
However, if one person’s income is above the £35,000 threshold, their half of the payment will be clawed back through the tax system. Therefore, the eligible person will get just £100.
The payments are split for couples based on age. So if both people are over 80, the split will be £150 each.
If only one is 80 or over, the older person will get £200 and the younger person will get £100. If both are under 80 the split will be £100 each.